Lucky Lady
by TheAmazingFireshadow
Summary: Weeks before Adrien's wedding to Lila Rossi, his bodyguard retires, and he has to get used to a new one. Ladybug, the new bodyguard, is attractive and mysterious (and in love with him?), and Lila immediately despises her. With tensions building between the two and Adrien's wedding fast approaching, can he balance his foxy fiancée and a sudden infatuation with his new bodyguard?
1. The Replacement

It was a day Adrien never thought would arrive. G, his bodyguard since birth and father figure was retiring, and someone else was coming to take his place as guardian of 23-year-old multi-millionaire Adrien Agreste. Nathalie's voice echoed throughout the Agreste mansion where Adrien was staying with his fiancée for the time being, and he swallowed the lump in his throat, pushing his bedroom door open. He gestured for his fiancée to go ahead of him and she obliged, giving him a peck on the cheek as she flounced out the door.

In the foyer stood G in all his glory, and Adrien had to restrain himself from running to hug the man he had mistakenly called "Dad" at least once or twice in the twenty-three years they had been acquainted. Instead he walked down and met G by the front doors where his luggage was neatly piled, accepting his old bodyguard's outstretched hand for a firm shake. Wrinkles gathered at the corners of his eyes as he gave Adrien the rarity of a smile, which the young man tearfully returned. No words were exchanged as G gathered his suitcases and walked out the door, never to return, hopped into a taxi, and sped away.

"Your new bodyguard should be arriving any minute now." Nathalie adjusted her glasses, blinking back what Adrien thought might have been tears in the corners of her eyes as she stared intently at the screen of her tablet.

"Maybe he'll be better than G," the woman clinging to Adrien's arm said, inspecting her nails as if they were anything less than perfectly polished.

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "What was wrong with G?"

"Not _wrong_, necessarily, just weird. I mean, he never talked, for one thing. I always wondered about that, didn't you, _chéri_?"

"Maybe he just didn't have anything to say." He started to change the subject, interrupted by the sound of a car engine as a taxi pulled through the gates of the mansion and parked. Adrien stiffened slightly and cleared his throat as the back door opened and a figure emerged, though the midday sunlight made it impossible to make out any features.

As the figure drew closer, though, he started to see some things, namely that the bodyguard was a woman with a short stature and petite build, hair tightly bound into a ponytail. She wore a deep red, long-sleeved blouse with symmetrically placed black spots and two loopy Ls decorating the breast pocket, plain black jeans, and red ballet flats.

She was also very attractive - objectively, of course, Adrien was engaged - and speaking of engagements, a certain fiancée had also noticed just how pretty she was.

"_This_ is our new bodyguard?" She asked, incredulous tone suggesting that she, too, was expecting another big, burly, two meter tall bodyguard, but she didn't hear Adrien complaining.

"Yes," Nathalie spoke up, heels clicking on the floor as she walked over to greet the young woman standing in the doorway. "She is the youngest of a long line of women in her family who have been specially trained for assignments like these."

Adrien tore his eyes away from her to focus on his father's assistant. "What...what's her name?"

"I am Ladybug," the woman said in a silvery voice, bowing before Adrien, whose heart skipped a beat or two when she spoke, but he chalked it up to nerves. "You are Adrien Agreste, are you not?"

"Yes, that's me."

"If I may ask, what is your name?" She turned her gaze to the woman, still clutching Adrien's arm.

She flashed Ladybug a fake smile. "Lila soon-to-be-Agreste."

"I remember hearing that name during my training. It is a pleasure to meet the two of you in person."

Adrien extended his free hand to her. "The pleasure is mine, Ladybug." As she reached out to take his hand, the sleeve of her shirt slid up a bit, revealing a small tattoo of a quincunx contained within a circle, a pattern that matched her unique earrings.

Nathalie cleared her throat. "We'll go over the rest of the logistics tomorrow. For now, if you follow me, I'll show you to the guest room, Ladybug."

Adrien trailed after his fiancée who was dragging him back to his childhood bedroom, but his thoughts were occupied by Ladybug, and if they continued to be, he knew he would be screwed.

...

Ladybug was struggling. It was her first day on the job, and she was already failing miserably. So what if Adrien Agreste just happened to be super hot? She could keep it professional. Besides, he was engaged, and it didn't matter how plainly uncomfortable he was around his fiancée, she was going to hold her tongue and let him run his own life. She wasn't going to be the next in a long line of overprotective, sheltering people he had to put up with.

Still, there was a chance he could be shallow and self-absorbed. His sunny disposition and gorgeous smile could just be a façade, covering up how he truly was when the public wasn't looking at his picture on a magazine cover. Ladybug had known him for a few measly hours. She had no right to make judgments yet or ever, and she knew it.

Running on a couple restless hours of sleep and pure adrenaline, she focused the little attention she had on getting the seemingly happy couple to the park. Under strict instructions from Nathalie to stay until the end of the photo shoot, she allowed Adrien to introduce her to the photographer while Lila got ready.

"Ah! You're much more photogenic than the last one." Vincent held up his hands and closed one eye as if studying her through the lens of a camera. "Have you ever considered becoming a model?"

"Oh, I don't think I would be very good at that."

He leaned in conspiratorially. "Well, perhaps if things don't work out with Mlle. Lila." She felt a rush of blood heat her cheeks and struggled to come up with a suitable response, but fortunately (unfortunately?) for her, a certain model stepped in.

Adrien smiled at her and winked, engaging the cameraman in conversation and leading him away from her, and Ladybug let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

She briefly considered waiting in the car - or running away, which had also crossed her mind - instead of watching Lila hang all over Adrien as an overly charismatic photographer communicated using metaphors about Italian food, but she ultimately decided to stay. She was Adrien's bodyguard, after all, and if protecting him meant staying close by him at all times, that was a sacrifice she would have to make.

Ladybug found herself entranced by the way Adrien immediately understood the photographer's obscurities, the way he furrowed his brow when he was confused, how graceful his movements were. A small voice in the back of her head whispered what she was afraid of, that he could be as egotistical as the woman posing beside him, and once she got to know him she would see his true colors.

A cry pierced the air, snapping her out of her stupor, and her head instinctively turned to see what was happening. A little girl stood at the trunk of a tree, yelling to a woman - her mother, perhaps - who was blatantly ignoring her, and gesturing frantically to the tree. Ladybug squinted, barely able to make out what she thought might have been a cat. It was resting on a low branch, only a couple meters off the ground, but way too high for the young girl to reach. It was fine, though, someone would call the fire department and-

"Adrien! Where are you going?" Lila whined as she was forcefully pried off her fiancé, who had broken into a dead sprint towards the girl.

He arrived in seconds, squatting down as the girl tearfully explained the situation. Ladybug had half a mind to go after him and chastise him for running away, but she was admittedly curious.

"What are you waiting for?" Lila shrieked, arms folded across her chest. "Don't just stand there like an idiot. Do your job!"

Ladybug rolled her eyes internally and started walking towards Adrien, who stood on his toes and stretched one arm up, the other braced on the tree trunk as he cooed at the little kitten. It inched closer skeptically, batting a curious paw before crawling into his waiting hand. He lowered his arm, gently cradling the kitten to his chest and petting it, and Ladybug stopped dead in her tracks.

There was something so sweet and tender, almost domestic, about the scene before her that rendered her completely speechless. A rush of indescribable… _something_ hit her like a freight train, and it was only when he looked back at her and she realized she had been staring at him that it clicked.

She was in love - with her _client_, no less, and to make matters worse, he was engaged. Maybe, the logical part of her whispered, maybe that's not what this is. Honestly, there's no way she could have fallen for someone after knowing them for all of a day. No matter what, keeping things strictly professional between them was the most important thing. She was there to do her job, and nothing else.

"Ladybug?" The sound of her cover name instantly derailed her train of thought. "Are you alright?"

"Ha, yeah," she assured, plastering a smile onto her face. "I guess I get in my head sometimes."

Adrien chuckled. "I can understand that. You looked a little out of it."

"My apologies, M. Agreste. I'm afraid I'm not much of a morning person."

"Well, we certainly have that in common. When my mother was around, she always told me I would get used to waking up early, and I never believed her."

Ladybug nodded, unsure what else to say. The short conversation came to a dead stop, and Ladybug focused on not staring at Adrien. It didn't matter that he may as well have been literally chiseled out of stone and extremely handsome in every sense of the word, she was still his bodyguard, and he was engaged. That was that.

The Agrestes were full of mysteries. It was something that intrigued her about the family, and one of the reasons she had volunteered so eagerly for the job, but especially the disappearance of Emilie Agreste, formerly Graham de Vanily. She had vanished under mysterious circumstances when Adrien was barely a teenager, and nothing but false leads were found in the ten years the case had been open.

And then there was perhaps the greatest mystery of all, why Adrien would ever marry Lila Rossi.

"Adrien!" A singsong voice called out from behind them. Ladybug inwardly cringed as a mane of hair and expensive perfume brushed by her, planting a loud kiss on Adrien's lips and snaking her arms around his neck. "It's time to go, _chouchou_."

"So soon?" He freed an arm from her grasp to check his phone. "It's only been a little over an hour."

"Philippe decided to end early today."

He raised an eyebrow. "Vincent, you mean?"

She waved a hand, dismissing his correction. "Whatever. At least we have some extra time to… do something fun before you have a piano lesson."

"Piano's tomorrow. I have fencing today."

"Of course. Silly me!" Lila giggled as if her blunder was the funniest mistake she ever made.

Ladybug cleared her throat. "I'll let Nathalie know we'll be arriving ahead of schedule, if that's alright with you."

Lila sneered at her and rolled her eyes. "I much prefer the one that didn't talk."

Determined not to let her words have too much meaning, Ladybug quickly put them out of her head, walking in short, quick strides back to the sedan. The drive home was silent and awkward, save for Lila's occasional critique of Ladybug's driving skills. Her first day on the job ended worse than it began, with a newfound love for the handsome Adrien Agreste, and a blossoming rivalry with his unbearable fiancée.


	2. Wake-up Call

**Author's Notes: Okay. I'm a little stupid. If you read what I posted yesterday and it seemed out of place, that's because I posted the wrong part. Here's the ****_real _****chapter 2. Haha... oops.**

In exactly four weeks, Adrien would no longer be Paris' most sought after bachelor. He was set to be wed to Lila Rossi at a gorgeous outdoor venue, and now that the deadline was so close, practically all the arrangements were made. The media went on and on about how they were "soulmates" and "a match made in heaven," and they had received thousands of nominations for Paris' Couple of the Year. Everything was so perfect. Except it wasn't.

Adrien rolled over in bed, attempting to pry Lila's arms off him. It wasn't that he didn't like having someone to cuddle with, especially during the winter months, but he could think of a few people he would rather have sleeping peacefully beside him.

He shook his head to clear those thoughts. Of course he wasn't going to sleep with anyone else, romantically or not, now or ever. He refused to be unfaithful to his fiancée. It would be worse than lying to her, and there was nothing Adrien hated more than liars.

Carefully, he wiggled free from her grasp and out of bed, cracking his back as he stretched his tired muscles. He stumbled into the bathroom to take a shower, the cold water shocking him awake as it cascaded down his body. He knew sleep would be impossible given his overactive brain, so despite the early hour he dressed for the day ahead of him and left the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

Unbeknownst to him, Lila had been awake the whole time.

Adrien passed by the dining room on the way to the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee, surprised to see Ladybug already seated at the table. He called out a quiet greeting, but she didn't respond, so he decided to investigate.

"Ladybug? Hello?" He paused, listening intently until a soft snore broke the silence. He smiled and continued on to the kitchen, bringing her a fresh cup of coffee as well, and took a seat next to her sleeping figure at the table.

Absentmindedly, he rubbed her back until she stirred from her slumber, something he vaguely recalled his mother doing when he was younger. She groaned and mumbled something unintelligible, batting a hand in his general direction when he persisted.

He snickered. "Okay, I definitely believe you're not a morning person."

That seemed to shake off the remains of sleep clouding her mind. She bolted upright with a yelp, spilling coffee all over the table and the two of them. "I-I'm so sorry, M. Agreste!"

"That's alright," he assured, fighting back a wince at the feel of hot coffee quickly penetrating his jeans.

"I didn't mean to do it. You just surprised me, that's all."

"It's not a big deal," continued Adrien, his words still lost in her rambles.

"Not that it's your fault or anything, I just didn't know you were there, and…" Ladybug trailed off, horror written on her face. "I-I'll get something to clean this up." She stood up to leave, pausing for a moment as if she were considering saying something. "Are you alright?"

"Hey, don't worry about me. I should've just let you sleep."

Her cheeks erupted into a deep blush, but she didn't say another word, turning and hurrying off to a different part of the mansion.

...

Once she had escaped the dining room, it took no more than a second or two for Ladybug to realize she had no idea where to go. She couldn't wake Nathalie for a little coffee spill, especially not in the middle of the night, and it would be mortifying to go back and ask Adrien. So instead of doing the logical (albeit humiliating) thing, she stood in the foyer, leaning against the side of the cool marble staircase, and fought back unnecessary tears of embarrassment.

Taking a deep breath, she internally repeated the wise words taught to her by the Great Guardian.

_There isn't a single problem that can't be solved._ _Courage and determination are more powerful than any supernatural ability,_ she heard the wizened voice say, _and love is the only weapon you need. It creates, and it destroys._ Carefully, she removed a small, circular pin from the breast pocket of her shirt, inscribed with the Chinese symbol for 'fortune,' and ran her thumb over its smooth surface.

_What is your name, Master? _Her own prepubescent voice responded.

A smile crinkled at the corners of his eyes as he closed her fingers over the very pin she held now. _I am your good fortune. Call me Fu._

Ladybug drew comfort from the vague memories of him and collected herself, pacing silently back and forth as she pondered what the best solution would be. Obviously, ask someone where to find cleaning supplies, but she didn't want to bother anyone at whatever awful hour it happened to be. She wasn't familiar with the layout of the mansion, only knowing where to find her room, the dining room, the bathroom, and Adrien's room.

Her fear of getting in trouble was big, but her pride was bigger, and she absolutely refused to ask for help finding a cloth of some sort to clean up a coffee spill. She walked up the grand staircase, which had several different doors, the rightmost one she knew to be Adrien's bedroom. Trying the knob of the one furthest to the left, she pushed open the heavy door and peered inside.

Well, it wasn't a closet. There was a selection of carefully placed white furniture that matched the general monochrome scheme of the room. The one thing that stood out was a large portrait of a woman, decorated in gold and jewelry, a woman she thought must be Emilie Agreste. She knew she wasn't supposed to be in there, but she just had to get a closer look at the mosaic.

Without any further hesitation, Ladybug gently closed the door behind her and walked across the room, feeling small under the emerald gaze of the late Mme Agreste. The work was lovely, obviously crafted with careful hands, but there was something off about the frame. She reached a hand up to feel the finished wooden detailing, a strange choice of material for such a glorious portrait, and heard a small click as her fingers slid to the back of the frame. She pulled her hand back, and the entire portrait came with it.

That was odd. Of course, there were many oddities that took place within the walls of the Agreste mansion, so Ladybug wasn't sure why a moving painting surprised her, but nevertheless it sparked her curiosity. The art was obviously taken great care of - it was in pristine condition - and Ladybug was grateful to discover that the hinges of the frame didn't make any noise when she pulled it further away from the wall.

And there in front of her eyes, hidden in the care of Emilie Agreste, was a safe in the wall.


	3. Missing You

Adrien stood up, pinching the coffee-stained rag between his fingers as he carried it to the laundry room. He looked around the dining room, peeked into the kitchen, the foyer, even his bedroom, but Ladybug was nowhere to be found. She had left with the promise of cleaning up the spill, but after a few minutes of watching the puddle slowly spread across the surface of the table, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

It had been a good fifteen minutes now, after having gone through three or four rags and some sort of cleaning spray that bubbled when it came into contact with the mess. He wasn't exactly sure what it was supposed to do, but he found it more entertaining than he probably should have at twenty-three years old.

Taking one last quick glance around the room, Adrien vowed to come back after changing his clothes so he could search for her without a lukewarm coffee stain on his jeans.

As he approached his room he could have sworn he heard a sound, maybe footsteps or something, but everything inside was peaceful when he entered. Lila was sprawled on his bed, facing his direction. Even when she was sleeping, the thought of changing in front of her made him uncomfortable, so he ducked into the bathroom, tossing his stained clothes into a laundry basket as he left the room.

Once the door clicked shut, Lila got up again as quickly as she had gotten into bed. She listened until she could no longer hear the shuffling of his sock-clad feet on the floor. Quietly, she slunk across the hall to Gabriel Agreste's office and opened the door.

"Ladybug?" Adrien called in a low voice, peeking into the foyer again as if she would magically appear there. "Ladybug?" He tried again, knocking on the door to the guest room where she was staying. He stood akimbo in the hallway, wondering where she could have gone, but eventually decided Nathalie probably had some business with her. Yeah, that was it.

Yawning, he chose to retire to his room. She would turn up by morning, for sure, and he needed a couple hours of sleep if he could manage it. Vaguely, his sleep-deprived mind wondered why the door was ajar, but he dismissed the thought. He must have forgotten to close it when he left last.

Adrien plopped down on the bed and rubbed at his eyes before laying back with a sigh. Just as sleep was about to overtake him, he bolted upright. Where was Lila?

...

Behind the mysterious portrait, there was a wall safe. A simple one, just a combination lock, but without practiced expertise Ladybug had no way of finding out what was inside. Not that she wanted to, of course. The secrets kept in the house would stay in the house, and she knew it. Her training hadn't failed her yet - well, not much - and she was going to keep it that way. Still, something kept her from leaving.

Chewing her lip in indecision, Ladybug stared at the wall, one hand braced on the frame of the painting. She started to push it back, but hesitated momentarily, at least until she heard footsteps outside the room and a soft creak as it began to open. Shoot.

Her instinctive reaction was _run_, but where would she go? With refined agility, she bolted to the window, clambered onto the sill, and pressed up against the window, concealed entirely by a blackout curtain. She heard a figure slink closer to her hiding place and forgot how to breathe, pulse pounding in her head. It passed her up and headed to a side door she briefly noticed upon her arrival.

Nine taps sounded on the door in a pattern, one she committed to memory, but couldn't decipher a meaning behind them. The taps spelled out S.O.S. in Morse code, but beyond that, they were just sounds. A few seconds passed, then a door opened, a small sliver of light cut through the darkness, a second more and it closed again. The room was once again plunged into the dark of night, the half-moon serving as the only illumination.

Ladybug chanced a peek through the split where the two curtains met, and seeing no one in the atelier, she let out a shaky breath and hopped down to ground level. She wasn't supposed to be there, and she knew it. The room was calm, yet unsettlingly strange, and she couldn't help but feel… watched. Surveying the area one more time, she convinced herself the only eyes on her were Emile Agreste's, and she sprinted towards the exit, not resting until she was back in her room, safe. At least in the meantime.

...

Sleep evaded her, save for a few moments where she slipped into the subconscious, only to have intrusive thoughts hold a track meet in her mind. Frustrated, she groaned into a pillow as bits of sunlight filtered into the room, and several birds played melodies without remorse, as if to remind her of the mistakes she had made up to that point.

What was inside that safe? Who was in the atelier? What did the tapping on the door mean? Who was on the other side? Ladybug almost wished the wedding was sooner so she could escape the mansion, if it didn't mean that Adrien and Lila would get married. There was so much she didn't know, and probably for a good reason, but she _needed_ answers.

She wasn't supposed to be in that room last night, she wasn't supposed to know about the safe in the wall. Her curiosity had always served as both a strength and a weakness at times, and it was one of the things Fu had said he admired most about her. But he also admired her creativity, which is exactly what she'd need to uncover the secrets of that house.

It would take some patience, and definitely some element of danger, but she had to do it. Of course, she would need to avoid suspicion, stay in everyone's good books, and - most importantly - not hurt Adrien. She had four weeks, and the clock was ticking.


	4. Cat-Eyed

"_Bonjour_, Ladybug!" Adrien greeted Ladybug as she walked into the room, her eyes baggy from lack of sleep and poorly concealed with makeup.

She gave him a tired smile. "_Bon matin_, M. Agreste. I trust you had a restful night?"

"Not as restful as I would have liked, but I'd sleep until the afternoon if my schedule allowed it."

"I understand. Has Mlle Rossi arrived yet?"

He looked over his shoulder towards the door. "She should have been down by now. Oh, _quand on parle du loup_." Lila strutted in as if she heard their conversation. "Morning, Lila."

She greeted him with an emphatic kiss on the cheek, leaving behind a sticky print of lip gloss, which he unsuccessfully attempted to wipe off. "Good morning, _chouchou_!" She glared at Ladybug, giving her a brief once-over before grabbing Adrien's orange juice and helping herself.

"_Bonjour_, Mlle Rossi. Did you sleep well?"

The girl faltered for a second before painting on a sweet smile. "I slept very well. Thank you so much for asking!"

Adrien rolled his eyes internally. She was missing half the night, and back by the time he woke up. Questioning her about it wouldn't do any good. A good night's sleep was just another in a long list of carefully camouflaged white lies.

"May I bring out your breakfast?"

"That's _so_ sweet of you, but I really haven't got the time. We have to leave in a little while, after all." She gave the two of them a what-can-you-do shrug and flounced off the way she came, presumably to get ready for the photo shoot.

Lila's departure left behind an awkward silence, and Adrien could tell Ladybug felt a little weird about standing there watching him eat. He would, but he was so used to it that any awkwardness came from it being a new person.

"Is there anything I can do for you, M. Agreste?"

He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "You can call me Adrien, if that makes you more comfortable. M. Agreste makes me think of my father, and that isn't what I want on my mind when I'm trying to eat."

She flushed, embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

"No, don't worry about it! I was joking. But seriously, Adrien is fine. If you haven't noticed, I'm not super professional."

"Okay. _Merci_. I have to get today's schedule from Nathalie. I'll be back in a minute… Adrien." She grinned, and he pretended her saying his name wasn't affecting him at all. "I'll have to get used to that."

He watched until she was out of eyeshot. "Me, too."

…

Ladybug quickly parked the car, and Adrien knew why she wasn't wasting any time. His father had reprimanded and fired many workers, especially ones who were new on the job. Gabriel Agreste didn't give second chances. As a child, Emilie always told him Gabriel preferred 'perfection over affection.'

He had only known Ladybug for a couple days, but he didn't want her leaving any time soon, so he stepped out of the car as soon as she opened the back door, reflexively offering Lila a hand to help her out as well.

"According to the day's schedule, the two of you are having separate photo shoots today in order to save time."

Lila stopped in her tracks. "What?"

"The new collection has fallen behind schedule because of an error in design. Pair modeling sessions have been double booked for next week, meaning you will have six shoots instead of the usual three."

"That can't be right. Gabriel would never do that. Who gave you that information?"

"M. Agreste himself, through Mlle Sancoeur. I have an email forwarded to me if you would like to see it." Adrien bit back a laugh at the unimpressed expression on Ladybug's face.

Lila sneered briefly, then covered it up with a pout. "No, never mind."

"Very well. Mlle Rossi, you will visit Baptiste for your makeup and wardrobe, and Juliette for photography. Madeleine will attend to you, M. Agreste, and you know Vincent already."

"_Oui, merci_."

Ladybug pointed out a trailer on the other side of the park. "Your photo shoot is over there, Mlle Rossi. I will bring you over there and introduce you to Juliette. M. Agreste, you'll be right here by the fountain. I believe they are ready for you."

Adrien smiled as Ladybug led Lila away. If there was one thing he missed about being single - at least, that he would admit - it was doing photo shoots by himself. Lila had a tendency to cling to him the entire time, and she wasn't the best at dissecting Vincent's metaphors. Of course, he had done shoots with many a model, but he found it easiest when he did them alone.

"Are you ready, M. Agreste?"

He forced himself back into reality and flashed the young cosmetologist a model smile. Adrien was as nice as possible to the staff his father employed, mostly because he knew they wouldn't get the same treatment from the elder Agreste. He memorized her basic features - average height, brown hair, brown eyes, glasses, visibly nervous - and reminded himself of her name.

"Of course, Madeleine. _Merci_." She grinned at him and adjusted her glasses with a shaky hand.

He stole one more glance in the direction of his fiancée and bodyguard to find the latter heading back to him. She looked up, seeming shocked to find that he was already looking back, and stopped in her tracks. Her mouth dropped open slightly, and Adrien swallowed, throat feeling awfully dry as his pulse danced to a new rhythm. It couldn't have been more than a second or two of eye contact, but it was enough. He would blame his tinted cheeks on the weather.

…

Chapter 4 - Part 2:

Ladybug watched Adrien disappear into a trailer, and she looked around for a moment, regaining her sense of reality. He looked at her so affectionately, so - dare she think it - lovingly, as if she was someone who deserved respect and adoration. She felt lost when she looked into his eyes, but lost in a good way, and now she was left leaning against the trunk of a tree, blushing, breathless, and downright confused. She scrolled through her schedule for the day, seeing words on a page but internalizing nothing.

Instinctively, she reached for the pin in her pocket, and rubbed the symbol. She considered it somewhat of a good luck charm, and it brought her hope when life seemed impossible. She took one deep breath, then another, and convinced herself she was okay.

Her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace and her cheeks burned a little less, so she considered that a win. At least, until the door of the trailer opened, and the heart-pounding feeling returned tenfold.

Ladybug caught Adrien's eye again after he was released from the clutches of the makeup crew, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she struggled to keep up her usual air of professionalism.

"I don't look _that_ ridiculous, do I?" He asked with a pout, burying his hands in his pockets. He was dressed from head to toe in black, and with the black leather gloves and chunky lace-up boots, not an inch of skin was visible below his neck. His striking green eyes stood out against the cat eye makeup he wore, and his cheeks were contoured to slim his face.

"Not bad," she said, pretending to be unimpressed despite the uncomfortable feeling of her heart trying its best to escape her body. Madeleine had done a remarkable job with his outfit, cladding him in clothes that formed to his physique, and the makeup didn't make him look feminine, more… catty. "You look like _un chat noir_. All you need are a pair of ears and some whiskers."

Adrien flashed her a cheeky grin, and her heart did a backflip. He opened his mouth to say something, but Vincent came over and tapped him on the shoulder. "M. Adrien, please. We're already behind schedule."

He smiled apologetically, already being led over to the set. "Sorry, Vincent."

That was alright with Ladybug. She wasn't sure she could stand talking to him much longer without making a total fool of herself, and if she didn't get close to him, she could fend off any feelings for him that threatened to make themselves known. Besides, as his bodyguard, it was her job to keep her eyes on him all the time, so no one could blame her for watching his every move.

From her position, she couldn't hear Vincent talking, unless he raised his voice, but she had the perfect angle to watch Adrien as he moved through the poses he was supposed to. He handled it perfectly, the picture of grace, movements as fluid as a cat, which was ironic.

It seemed that every time he had a photo shoot, Ladybug lost track of not only time, but her surroundings as well. The school across the street could have been on fire, and she wasn't sure she would even notice.

"Ladybug." She snapped her mouth shut, not sure when it had drifted open, and turned towards the sound of someone's voice. It was Nathalie, walking towards her with a serious, no-nonsense expression on her face.

.

...

Translations:

Bonjour = hello, good day

Bon matin = good morning

Quand on parle du loup = when one speaks of the wolf (speak of the devil)

Chouchou = childish term of endearment

M. (monsieur) = Mr. (mister)

Mlle (mademoiselle) = Ms. (miss)

Merci = thank you

Oui = yes


	5. The Master

As a general rule, Adrien didn't like photo shoots, but after seeing Ladybug's reaction, he would try his hardest. Despite the weather, his cheeks felt like they were burning, and when she _smiled_ at him? That was it. Cancel the wedding and start planning his funeral, because he was pretty sure he died on the spot. Paying attention to Vincent was never more difficult, especially when every time he would glance in Ladybug's direction, she was looking at him.

Being used to Vincent's gestures and facial expressions came in handy on days when his mind was abuzz, and he changed positions almost mindlessly, at least until someone approached Ladybug in his peripheral vision. He glanced over to where she was standing to find Nathalie talking to her, and he rushed over without giving the photo shoot a second thought.

"Hey, Nathalie. What's going on?"

"You're in the middle of a shoot, Adrien. Ladybug is capable of having a conversation with me without your involvement."

Ladybug looked between the two of them. "I don't mind him being here, Mlle Sancoeur, really."

Nathalie sighed. "I'll only be here a minute, anyway. The wedding dress designer from M. Agreste's personal staff misplaced Mlle Rossi's measurements, and I need to bring her over now."

"Won't that put the clothing line farther behind schedule?"

"If the designer doesn't get the measurements immediately, the dress won't be ready in time for the wedding, unless we make him work overtime."

Adrien crossed his arms, knowing that asking the designers to work more wasn't the problem. "Well, we can't have that. If someone's working overtime, they get extra pay, and I know how my father feels about that."

"Money isn't the issue, Adrien. Get back to work." Nathalie turned her attention back to Ladybug. "As I was saying, we should have enough shots from today if Juliette was able to cooperate with Mlle Rossi. Once Adrien is finished, bring him home immediately. I will handle Mlle Rossi's transportation."

Adrien reluctantly returned to the set, unable to hear any more of the conversation. Ladybug clutched her tablet to her chest and nodded emphatically as Nathalie talked for a minute more before heading to the other side of the park to get Lila.

He looked over to Ladybug with a curious expression and she gave him a halfhearted smile, mouthing 'don't worry about it'. Unfortunately, worrying about it was all he could do as he watched Nathalie lead Lila to her car.

"M. Adrien, if you don't stop frowning, you're going to have wrinkles," Vincent warned, resting his arm atop the camera. "I won't be able to get any more good pictures with you looking like this."

"Sorry."

Vincent waved him off. "Oh, I have plenty. Change back and get out of here, but don't be late tomorrow."

Adrien couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Vincent. I'll be right on time." He practically sprinted to the trailer and changed in record time, dodging the people carrying reflectors and camera equipment. Ladybug met him on his way back.

"What's going on, Adrien?"

He smiled when she said his name. "Vincent ended things early again."

"Oh, alright. I guess we can head back, then."

"They're not expecting us yet. We might be able to drive around a bit, maybe grab a bite to eat somewhere."

She nodded absently, face ghost white as she looked past him. He followed her gaze to a short, Asian-looking man wearing a red floral shirt.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed as he walked up to her.

"I need to talk to you, Ladybug." He looked at Adrien and smiled knowingly. "You should hear this as well, young man."

…

Ladybug's mouth felt incredibly dry, and her heart was pounding in a painful staccato rhythm as the man in front of her struggled to unlock the simple wooden door in front of him. She was forbidden to come back once her training was complete, unless it was an extremely dire emergency. It was impossible to tell because of his impossibly calm demeanor, but it had to be serious for him to show his face in public.

"Come in, please." Ladybug sucked in a breath as she walked into the room, taking in the familiar surroundings and the welcoming smell of herbal tea and air freshener. Adrien gave her a look and she nodded, gently grabbing his upper arm and coaxing him in.

"Sit down. Don't be afraid." Wordlessly, they did as told, sitting opposite each other on the floor. "I'll get some tea." With that, he left the room, returning a minute later with a tray. Ladybug instinctively reached out to pour the tea as she had done countless times. She handed a cup to Adrien, then took one for herself, sipping cautiously.

When nobody spoke for a minute, Adrien did. "So, uh… who are you?"

"You may call Master Fu." He smiled, taking another drink. "Truthfully, I didn't know Adrien would be with you, but I believe it's better he is here."

Adrien set his cup down. "How do you know my name?"

Fu's eyes sparkled with mirth. "I may not get out much, but I cannot go anywhere in this city without seeing your face, Adrien."

Ladybug swallowed the lump in her throat. "Did something happen, Master? I wasn't expecting you to show up today."

"I don't believe you expected me any day, Ladybug. However, in this case, you're right. It was never the right time before, but there is something you must know about yourself."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Do you believe in magic, Ladybug?"

She blinked, eyeing him skeptically. "Magic? I… don't think so. Why?"

Fu simply nodded. "The greatest heroes are unaware of the powers they possess."

"What does that mean?"

He ignored her question, but that wasn't unusual. "What do you know about your earrings?"

"They are presented to the newest member of the Lucky Ladies on the day they complete their training. I'm supposed to wear them every day."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I think it's just a tradition. It was never really clear to me."

Fu turned to Adrien. "Some secrets must stay untold."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Wayzz?"

A young man with a friendly smile entered the room. "Yes, Master?"

"I don't believe you've met Adrien. Why don't the two of you get acquainted over a game of chess? I will call you back in due time."

"Of course, Master." He gestured to Adrien. "Follow me?"

Once they were out of earshot, Fu looked back at Ladybug. "Does the word Miraculous mean anything to you?"

"Should it?"

"Ladybug, your earrings have certain… qualities that enhance your creative abilities. The Lucky Ladies have never failed, because luck was on their side in the most literal sense."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you might want to rethink not believing in magic. It is very dangerous in the wrong hands, but it is also very, very real." Seeing the disbelief on her face, Fu stood up, retrieving a simple green bracelet from a drawer. "Every Miraculous embodies a concept. This bracelet, for example, holds the power of Protection. If I put it on, it increases my ability to protect myself and others."

Ladybug reached up to her ear and toyed with the studs. "So, are my earrings magical, too?"

"Yes. They hold the power of Creation and are one of the two most powerful Miraculouses."

"What's the other one?"

"The Miraculous of the Black Cat is a silver ring that embodies Destruction."

"_Un chat noir_," she whispered, mostly to herself.

"What was that?"

"Oh… nothing."

"When Creation meets Destruction, the universe can be altered, but this power comes with a price. When you were younger, a Wish was made, and the balance restored in its own way. It must not happen again."

Ladybug's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"That will be revealed to you when the time comes. Too many ingredients in a pot of soup ruins the taste, does it not? Would you bring Adrien to me, please? I will keep the conversation brief, don't worry."

She nodded, going into the back room where Adrien and Wayzz were sitting at a small table.

"Uh, Adrien? Master Fu wants to talk to you now."

"What about?"

She laughed nervously. "I'm not even sure what he was talking to me about, but you'll get used to it."

"Okay."

Ladybug turned to follow Adrien, but was held back by a gentle voice behind her. "What is your familiarity with the game of chess, Mlle Ladybug?"


	6. Unlucky Lady

Adrien's day just kept getting stranger. He went from a photo shoot to a massage parlor and herbal medicine shop where he played chess with a man called Wayzz, and now he was going to talk to an old man with a love for tea and proverbs.

"Welcome back," said the aforementioned old man. "I apologize for sending you away earlier, but there are some things you are simply not prepared to know."

Adrien just nodded and sat down.

"Help yourself to another cup of tea." The way he said it sounded less like a suggestion and more like a command, so he reached out for the pot, only to have Fu seize his wrist.

"Where did you get that ring?" Fu's expression was unreadable, but his voice held a note of urgency.

He examined the silver ring on his right hand. "My mother gave it to me ten years ago before she, uh… disappeared."

Fu nodded, stroking his beard in a cliche manner. "And do you know where she got it?"

"I don't believe I do. Why do you want to know? What's so important about my ring?"

"It's been missing since the Wish," Fu said to himself before regarding Adrien with a kind smile. "There are a few important things I believe you should know. First of all, that ring of yours is special, Adrien, and not just because it was a gift from your mother."

"I don't understand."

Fu paused, casually sipping his tea. "Would you consider yourself particularly lucky?"

"No, I've always had pretty bad luck, actually. What does my personal experience with karma have to do with the ring my mother gave me?"

"Your ring has magical properties of negative karma and destruction. It's known as a Miraculous, and was presumed lost forever. Until now, that is."

"Magic? I don't mean to insinuate that you're lying, Master, but magic seems a little far-fetched, wouldn't you say?"

Fu simply smiled again. "How old do you think I am, Adrien?"

"I… wouldn't know, but from the look you're giving me, I'm going to assume whatever I say is going to be wrong."

"I am one hundred and ninety-five years young. I've seen many people come and go, and advised quite a few who didn't believe in the existence of magic."

Adrien gaped, nearly dropping the teacup in his hand. "You-you're… almost… holy cow. Is that magic, too? Are you, like, immortal or something?"

Fu chuckled. "I am not immortal, young man, and I don't attribute my lengthy life to the powers of the Miraculous, but to my lifestyle."

At that moment, Adrien's phone rang, and he fished it out of his pocket, sighing as he saw the name on the screen. "I should take this. It's my fiancée, Lila."

"Lila?"

"Lila Rossi. We're getting married in a few weeks."

Fu's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before his neutral expression returned. "I will let Ladybug know our conversation has ended."

And just like that, he was up and out of the room before Adrien could say another word.

…

Ladybug tossed and turned all night, which she found frustrating to no end. It was perhaps the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in, and she had scarcely been able to sleep at all. Her mind was abuzz from everything that happened with Adrien at the photo shoot and with Master Fu. She couldn't get his words out of her mind.

"_Check." She surveyed the board to find that, yes, her king was in danger. _

_She huffed indignantly, but smiled at him nonetheless. "You're excellent at chess, Wayzz."_

"_I don't have much to occupy my time, Mlle Ladybug. The activities I practice often are the ones in which I have achieved near perfection." Suddenly, he rose from his seat and bent over in a bow. "Master."_

_Fu bowed slightly in response. "An interesting predicament you have there, Ladybug. Allow me to finish the game without you? Adrien and I have discussed the important matters, and I believe the two of you ought to go before your absence arouses suspicion."_

"_Of course, Master." Ladybug stood, stilling at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder, coaxing her to lean down to his height. _

"_You mustn't allow the wedding to take place," he whispered. She froze, a question written all over her face, but Fu only motioned for her to leave._

She rolled onto her back and stared sightlessly at the ceiling. She had to stop the wedding, but why? And more importantly, how? Walking up to Adrien and telling him to break up with his fiancée without an explanation certainly wouldn't go over too well, but she learned the hard way that words spoken within the walls of Master Fu's parlor weren't to be recounted outside of them.

There were less than four weeks now, and Ladybug had so much to accomplish during that time. She knew she had to at least _talk_ to Adrien, get a sense of how he felt about things, but she could hardly say she was looking forward to it. Being professional around Adrien Agreste had proven to be more of a challenge than her actual job. It wasn't his fault he was insanely handsome and, at the same time, incredibly sweet and charming.

She had known him all of three days, but she'd seen so many different sides of him. He could be professional, but he didn't care for it much. He was also sensitive and kind, with a smile that could outshine the sun itself. He was goofy and had a sense of humor when he got comfortable teasing her. She knew the way his eyes seemed to sparkle when he laughed, and the way his forehead creased when he was thinking about something. And when they looked at each other in the park and the world seemed to stop? She couldn't have been imagining the blush on his cheeks.

No. That train of thought needed to turn around and go back where it came from. She could not be in love with Adrien Agreste. He was engaged, and she was employed by his father to guard his body. As a bodyguard. She drove him places, stood by while he ate his meals, slept in a room not far from his just in case there was any danger.

Falling in love wasn't part of the plan, but it never is. Isn't that the whole point? Ladybug supposed it was like a cartoon, where the character doesn't realize they're about to fall until they run out of ground to walk on, and suddenly the cliff ends and they plummet to the water below with a satisfying _splash_. Well, her cliff had run out, and she was just holding her breath, waiting for the telltale sound of water, kindly letting her know she had hit rock bottom.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes, knowing she would gladly take the plunge for Adrien, especially when the events of the day replayed in her mind. His emerald eyes, gazing at her with a soft affection that contrasted the sharp strokes of eyeliner beside them. The wisps of blond hair that teased the edge of his forehead in the wind. A smile that toyed with the corners of his lips, slanting them up in an unfairly attractive way.

For someone with luck on her side, Ladybug felt anything but lucky, obsessing over a man she barely knew, and one who was well out of her reach. She couldn't have been more pleased to be working for the one and only Gabriel Agreste, and such a name came with a substantial paycheck, but she simultaneously dreaded and looked forward to every day of work. Until she resigned or retired, Ladybug was cursed to spend her time around a woman she despised and a man she couldn't have. A Lucky Lady indeed.


	7. Early Mornings

After a week of photo shoots crammed in at every possible time of day, Adrien was exhausted, barely managing to drag himself out of bed in the morning. At least, that's how it felt.

Internally, his body was barely able to stay upright, brain foggy from lack of sleep and thus incapable of forming coherent thoughts. Externally, he was very much an Agreste, getting up when his alarm sounded, dressed and ready for the day within minutes. There was a generous amount of concealer under his eyes and a prize-winning smile on his face as he greeted the new morning with extremely false enthusiasm.

The ability to appear wide awake despite the constant protesting of every cell that allowed Adrien's body to continue functioning was a practiced skill, developed from years of early wake-up calls and lectures about being "the image of the Gabriel brand" and having to look the part.

A man like Gabriel Agreste stayed hidden away in his office and took credit for every activity Nathalie scheduled that Adrien carried out. He didn't need to look prim and proper every moment of every day because he seldom set foot outside his atelier. To Adrien, that's just the way his father was. To the media, he was a "reclusive" and "quirky" designer who thrived from time alone. To the court system, it was probably neglect, but no one asked them.

Unsurprisingly, Adrien was the first one in the dining room. Nathalie didn't join him for meals anymore, Lila only sometimes bothered to eat breakfast, and Ladybug was living up to her self-proclaimed status of "not a morning person," so he often ate alone, at least for a little while. He didn't mind, not really. The loneliness and overall lack of company in the mansion didn't bother him as much as it used to. It wasn't ideal, but it was the truth.

A familiar face brought him a plate of food — someone from the kitchen staff, the name escaped him — and he ate, remembering his manners even though he was the only person in the room.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Ladybug rushed into the dining room in a flurry of apologies, nearly dropping her tablet in her haste. Adrien quirked an eyebrow at her, amused at her antics. "Ugh, I'm such a mess. I just - my alarm didn't go off. Can you believe it? So then I wake up to someone knocking on my door, and guess what? It's Nathalie. My boss. My _boss_ had to _wake me up_ because my alarm hates me and is personally out to get me."

Adrien laughed. He couldn't help himself, the way Ladybug stood in front of him, disheveled and pouting adorably. He swore he could see the steam coming out of her ears. She frowned at him, but he could see the corners of her lips twitching as she fought back a smile.

"Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed, huh?" He teased, enjoying the playful gleam in her eyes.

Then, with all the confidence of someone only partially aware of the words leaving their mouth: "Yeah, but if Nathalie ever has to wake me up again, you can bet it won't be _your_ bed I get up in."

A beat of stunned silence.

"Ahahahaha, nothat'snotwhatImeant. I-I-I meant, uh, a bed in your house. Well, your father's house, technically. I'm only, like a guess, I guest. I mean, I'm a guest, not that it - whatever. I'll just shut up."

He chuckled again, a foreign fluttering feeling in his stomach as he looked at her sheepish grin and adorable blush. "I don't mind it. You're cute when you're flustered."

Ladybug's entire face flushed several shades darker. "Cute, huh?" She fidgeted with a loose strand of hair and stared at the ground with a decidedly melancholy expression. Gone was the spark in her eyes, the frantic gestures as she stumbled over her words. There was no enthusiasm. Her words felt flat and joyless.

A brief wave of panic coursed through him. "Did I say something wrong?"

She peeked up at him through her eyelashes with a sad smile. "No, you're fine. I just didn't get enough sleep last night."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Hey, don't let me hold up your breakfast. We have an appointment to get to, remember?"

Of course. If Adrien was anything like his father (perish the thought, his one goal in life was to _not_ become his father), he would fire the person responsible for scheduling a suit fitting at eight in the morning. The designer was opening his boutique an hour earlier than usual specifically for his appointment, which seemed unnecessary.

Those sixty minutes were valuable. Adrien could have spent them sleeping. Not that he minded spending them with Ladybug, of course. It was certainly the best alternative to sleep he could come up with.

…

The car ride had been mostly silent, and uncomfortably so. Ladybug wanted to say something, but she didn't trust her words around Adrien, especially not after their disaster of a conversation at breakfast. Then he said she was cute and it was all she could have hoped for — if she wasn't about to take him to get a suit fitted. For his wedding. Not to her, but to a woman he didn't seem to have any sort of connection to. In fact, Adrien looked positively miserable when he was around her.

There was something Ladybug didn't like about Lila that she couldn't put her finger on. She could see past the vanity and self-obsession, but there was a hint of hostility in her smile, insincerity in every word that left her lips. The territorial glances thrown her way as she figured out a way to further ignore Adrien's boundaries, much to his obvious chagrin.

Speaking of him, should she say something? Apologize or crack a joke, maybe? The tension in the car could be cut with a piece of dental floss, and Ladybug felt like she was suffocating under the weight of it.

"I'm sorry about earlier." She glanced away from the road for a split second to meet Adrien's gaze in the mirror, grateful that he decided to speak up.

"What do you mean?"

He scratched his neck, something that seemed to be a nervous habit of his. "I think I made you uncomfortable somehow at breakfast. I swear I didn't mean to upset you."

"What? I - no, not at all! I just kind of… get in my own head sometimes, you know? You didn't do anything, really," she insisted.

"But you'd tell me if I did?" Ladybug looked away from his emerald eyes, gazing at her with the hope of a small child asking for a cookie.

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Of course."

He let out a sigh of relief, and his radiant smile returned full force. "That's good. I was so worried I had done something wrong. I wouldn't want you to be mad at me."

"Why does that matter?"

"I don't understand."

She chuckled humorlessly, pulling into a parking spot. "You're _Adrien Agreste_. I mean, come on! You're super nice and sweet and good at talking to people, not to mention insanely attractive. Why should someone as… inconsequential as a bodyguard make a difference to you?" She walked around to open the door for him out of habit.

Adrien gaped at her as he got out of the car, but she refused to meet his gaze, slamming the door with more force than she intended. "I've gotten used to meaningless approval from people who will say anything to make themselves sound good. I guess… I've stopped paying attention to validation from people like that. The only opinions that matter to me are the ones that come from people I care about. People that know me, that are important to me."

He reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear before letting his hand rest on her shoulder. "People like _you_, Ladybug. You aren't inconsequential, or just another one of my father's employees, and I don't want you to feel that way. You're someone I can joke around with and laugh with. I feel like I can trust you, like I could tell you anything, and I love… I love that about you."

Her chest tightened and she swallowed painfully. She couldn't bear to even look him in the eyes or try to say anything just in case the truth would come spilling out of her mouth before she could stop it. The bells on a nearby church chimed the hour.

"Let's go. Nathalie will have both our heads if I miss this appointment."

"Adrien?" Acting on an impulse, Ladybug grabbed his wrist before he could get too far ahead. He turned back to look at her, confused. "Thank you."

His expression softened into a gentle smile. "You're welcome."


	8. Father Figures

**Author's Notes:** This chapter is longer than I wanted it to be, but oh, well. Also there's some foreshadowing, mostly in the second half with Gabriel (pay attention to the questions). I've been on a roll with this story lately, so hopefully you'll be getting another chapter within the week!

Adrien adjusted his tie for the nth time, only to have his hand swatted away by the meticulous designer who had spent months working on a unique suit just for him. It was silly, really, because no matter how much hard work and effort the man put into the ensemble, it just looked and felt like every other suit he'd worn before. The only difference he could see was the price tag. Sure, he knew from a fashion standpoint what the benefits were of certain pocket styles and fabric choices, but other than that, it was just a suit.

He had heard about brides-to-be suddenly "feeling like a bride" when they tried on the right dress, but he supposed they were already excited about the prospect of getting married, having found the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. Adrien couldn't relate. At this point, he knew he was wearing his wedding suit. It was what he would wear the day he married Lila. He would smile and tell her how beautiful she looked, because there would be cameras filming his every move. He would be the perfect husband, the perfect son, the perfect model, etc., etc. Every second he spent with her in public for the rest of his life would be perfectly scripted and planned out to make them look like the perfect couple, but something about that made him dread getting married even more.

Adrien frowned at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was combed, suit clean, tie straight, shoes shined, and he felt less like himself than he had in ages. He knew the person looking back at him in the glass, but it wasn't him. It wasn't right.

He rolled his shoulders and tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, effectively loosening his tie and earning him an exasperated sigh from the man in front of him.

"Ay, M. Agreste, please. If you don't stand still, we'll never finish in time, and I have another customer coming in half an hour!" A thick Italian accent made his French harder to understand, but Adrien got the message.

"Sorry, M. Bertinelli," he half-mumbled.

The stout man raked his fingers through his thin gray hair. "Alphonso. We've been through this. M. Bertinelli was my father, God rest his soul."

"Wasn't his name also Alphonso?"

"Si, si. But to me, he was _papà_. At work, he was M. Bertinelli. The only person who ever called him Alphonso was _mia madre_, Lucia. The angels took her too soon." He bowed his head, eyes downcast.

Adrien tugged at the collar of his suit uncomfortably… again. "I, uh… I know a little about that."

Alphonso regarded him with a kind smile, picking a piece of lint off his lapel. "You would, wouldn't you? How long has it been? Ten years?"

He scratched his neck, looking away from the man's persistent gaze. "Yeah, almost."

Someone just beyond the fitting room knocked softly on the door, and it creaked open hesitantly after a second. "Are you decent?"

Ladybug. Adrien smiled. "Yeah, come on in." She stepped into the room and waved shyly at M. Bertinelli. Her gaze turned to him, eyes widened and cheeks flush. She looked him up and down, as if trying to memorize every little detail of his pricey ensemble. By the time her eyes met his again, he was sure his face was every bit as red as hers.

Suddenly, as if remembering why she came into the room in the first place, Ladybug stared intensely at her tablet and cleared her throat. "Uh, I don't want to bother you, monsieur. I'll only be a minute. You have a fencing lesson with M. D'argencourt at his private court in..." She paused, scrolling through the day's schedule. "...thirty minutes, so we should be leaving within the hour."

Adrien was pretty sure her openly gaping at him for multiple seconds had effectively cleared his mind of any coherent thought other than a long string of exclamation points, but M. Bertinelli had him covered. "Not to worry, _bella_. I'll have him out of here in plenty of time." With a hand on her shoulder, he led her back out the door. "I'll call you when we're finished." Once she was out of earshot, he chuckled, waggling a suit brush at him. "You like her," he said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

"Oh, don't pretend with me, _ragazzo_. I can see it a mile away. The way you smiled when she walked in the room, how you blushed when she looked at you." He lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned in. "You're not exactly subtle, _ragazzo_, and neither is she." Adrien felt his face heat again as Alphonso laughed merrily. "Besides, I've been in love before."

Adrien shrugged off his suit jacket and loosened his tie, draping them carefully over the back of a chair. "How do you know it's love? I haven't known her very long. It could just be… I don't know, something else? Love is a strong word to use."

Alphonso shook his head insistently, setting the brush on the vanity counter. "It's just like it was with my late wife, Rosa Maria. When I met her, she was with my old friend Claudio, who treated her poorly. A shame, really. Rosa was the sweetest woman I ever knew, and Claudio? Well, he was something else. I thought I'd live my whole life in love with a woman I'd never have, but love is a funny thing, _ragazzo_. I had just about given up when she up and left him one day. Came knocking at my door, telling me she loved me all along. Of course, Claudio didn't like that very much, but it worked out for me and my Rosa. It will work out for you, too."

"You think so?"

"Of course! You don't live to be fifty-seven without learning a few things about life. Now, get out of that suit before you wrinkle it."

"Don't you have to alter it?"

"It fits you like a glove, _ragazzo_. I knew it would." He took the discarded jacket from the chair and put it on a mannequin across the room. "You know, that might be a good analogy. The right girl will fit like a good suit - comfortable, nice-looking, and affordable as long as you've got a rich _padre_."

"What should I do about Ladybug?"

Alphonso shrugged. "Whatever needs to be done. Don't worry yourself too much, anyway. Things have a way of working themselves out, and you're a pretty smart kid. But if you want some advice from a man who's been put through the ringer a few times, I think you should tell her how you feel before it's too late."

Adrien frowned. "It might already be too late. My wedding is in eighteen days, and everything's ready. I can't back out now."

"Well, if you go through with it, that's fine. Your wife better be over the moon. She's got herself the handsomest boy in Paris."

"Thanks, Alphonso."

He patted Adrien on the cheek and ruffled his hair with a fond smile. "Ah, get outta here. But if you never need a listening ear, I've got two of 'em, and I can always pretend your suit doesn't fit quite right so you can come back. I sure wouldn't mind the company."

Adrien laughed politely, not sure if he meant it, but secretly wishing he did. Alphonso treated him like family, like the son he never had, and he acted more like a father than Gabriel ever had. "You know what? I'll let you know."

"See you around, Adrien."

…

Ladybug stood up as he walked back into the waiting room, clasping her hands behind her back. "All done?"

He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. "Yep. Let's get out of here." She snickered, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth to sober herself. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just… your hair is a mess. It must have happened when you changed back, because it looked fine when I was in there earlier."

Adrien ran a hand through his hair and swooped it to the side. "Better?"

"Mostly. There's a little part…" She pointed to the left side of her head, and he patted down the right side, mirroring her. "No, the other side." He followed her instructions, but to no avail. She clicked her tongue, reaching out. "May I?"

He kept his voice steady (he hoped) and his expression neutral. "Of course." With gentle fingers, she quickly found the problematic tuft of hair and combed her fingers through it a few times to tame it down. When she was done, she brushed a few strands out of his face, nails gently scraping his forehead and over to his ear.

Satisfied, she smiled, completely oblivious to his inner turmoil, and patted him on the head like a dog. Maybe a cat. "All good! Let's go."

Well, that was just plain unfair. The way she could touch him like it was nothing, like the world around them didn't just cease to exist when she smiled at him. Truthfully, Adrien was touch starved, and he knew it. It had been years since the last time he willingly hugged someone, so he was automatically hyper aware of every time Ladybug casually touched him. Every electric brush of their fingertips when she handed him his schedule, every playful smack when he made a bad joke, every time she got close enough that he could feel her breath teasing his skin like a light summer breeze.

He futilely tried to console himself with the thought that she would still be his bodyguard after the wedding, but if anything, that made it worse. He would spend years, perhaps the rest of his life knowing she was off limits. Right there, a few houses, a room, a meter away, but he couldn't have her.

But how, he wondered, do you simply coexist with someone who doesn't know how every tiny little thing she does turns his whole world upside down? He knew he was unlucky, but even for the Powers That Be, that seemed a little excessive.

...

By the time Ladybug pulled up to the mansion, any remaining tension had pretty well dissipated. Externally, at least. Adrien shot her a prize-winning smile when she opened his car door, and they walked up the stairs together. As far as she could tell, there were no traces of discomfort or confusion anywhere on his stupidly gorgeous model face.

As soon as the grand doors opened, Nathalie was there, seemingly so occupied by whatever was on her tablet that she couldn't look at either of them.

"Lunch will be ready in fifteen minutes, Adrien. Go shower off." Ladybug and Adrien glanced at each other. It wasn't unlike her to be stoic and stern; in fact, Ladybug pretty much expected it. Still, she usually at least made an attempt to ask how their days had been, or at the very least, greet them.

"Nice to see you, too, Nathalie," Adrien tried, met with the slight raise of a plucked eyebrow, sitting atop a pair of dull blue eyes. "Okay, okay, I'm going." Partially out of habit and partially out of wanting to be anywhere else, Ladybug followed him.

"Come with me, Ladybug." Nathalie's command stopped her in her tracks, and she had no choice but to go with her. Ladybug hesitated, foot poised on the bottom step of the foyer staircase, overwhelmed by the feeling of _no, don't go_. Shaking her head, she ignored the feeling and followed.

"M. Agreste has requested to see you." Ladybug swallowed, staring at the door looming in front of her. _Stop_, a little voice in her head said. _Turn around. Leave._ She pushed the door open, wincing as it creaked slightly, and stepped into the atelier, her footsteps echoing despite her effort to be light on her feet. Cautiously, she walked farther into the room, automatically searching for an exit. _Main door, side door, two windows_.

"Hello, Ladybug. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you in person as of yet. As you can see," He gestured to his computer screen, which she could not, in fact, see. "I'm a very busy man."

She bowed her head, jumping as the door slammed shut. "Yes, monsieur. It's an honor to meet the famous Gabriel Agreste."

Eyes never leaving the screen in front of him, he continued. "I've been pleased with your work so far. Of course, I should expect nothing less from a member of the most prestigious line of bodyguards in the country."

"Of course, monsieur." Gabriel left his computer and began to pace around the room, hands clasped behind his back as he walked circles around her in measured steps. She summoned what she hoped would appear as courage, standing up straight. He stopped in front of her, looking her straight in the eyes.

_Get out._ She hadn't breathed for a while, perhaps since she entered the atelier. Every cell in her body ordered her to _move run leave go hurry_ but she stood there, head held high as her own frightened expression taunted her in the lenses of Gabriel Agreste's glasses.

A hand reached out, past her line of vision, towards her… ear?

"Exquisite earrings," he commented in a tone that only increased her panic. "Family heirloom?"

"Yes, monsieur," she had long since dropped the façade of confidence, voice coming out as merely a whisper. After a few excruciating seconds of eye contact, he returned to his computer, not even a trace of emotion anywhere on his face or in his remarkably neutral body language. Ladybug could usually identify how people were feeling from the way they reacted to situations, but Gabriel remained cold, as if challenging her to try to figure him out.

"Tell me, Ladybug, how long have you been training for this position?"

Ladybug paused, unsure how to correctly answer the question. "I had two months to prepare for this specific job guarding your son. As a member of the Lucky Ladies, I have been training since I was seven years old."

He hummed, but she couldn't tell if it was because she gave the right answer or the wrong one. "How do you pick a lock?"

She furrowed her brow, confused by the line of questioning. "Most locks can be opened with a wrench and a pick, which can be made from household objects, like hairpins and paper clips."

"In a fight, is it best to be the primary attacker or to defend yourself?"

"That's a loaded question, M. Agreste. If my hypothetical assailant started this fight, I would be forced into a defensive position first, and I suppose I would stay there until I could learn my opponent's fighting style and find a way to trip them up without injuring them if possible. If I was on duty when this fight took place, I would likely have another person to protect, and that would take precedence over nonviolence. I would use whatever means necessary to keep my charge safe."

Another hum, no more revealing than the last. Silence settled over them, long and suffocating, like breathing but each inhale is shallower than the last, until you're gasping for air. And just when consciousness is about to slip away, "Do you care for my son?"

It wasn't the relief she had been hoping for. There was no breath of fresh air for her. What was the correct answer to such a question? The emphatic _yes_ that came to mind definitely wasn't what he was looking for.

"I was hired to protect him. I know him enough to care about his well-being."

The disturbing shadow of an emotionless smile crossed his face. "You remind me of my late wife. Surely you've heard about her?" He gestured behind him to a familiar work of art on the wall.

There she was again. Emilie Agreste, larger than life, framing Gabriel's body on all sides. The fractals of gold caught the light, bouncing off in every direction, as if she didn't look radiant enough in the dark. The portrait was beautiful, stunning even, but it filled Ladybug with such a sense of dread, and for no apparent reason. Everything in the room did.

She was too divine, too flawless, too… _perfect_. The portrait, the atelier, Gabriel himself, they were perfect. No piece of furniture out of place, no papers strewn about, not a speck of dust anywhere. It was faultless, and alarmingly so.

"I'm glad we could get to know a little about each other, Ladybug. I look forward to speaking with you again."

"As do I, M. Agreste." That was a lie. Ladybug never wanted to get anywhere close to him or his atelier ever again. Even being in the same house was somehow off-putting.

"If you won't keep me from my work, I won't keep you from yours." She took that as an invitation to leave, and she cursed her short legs for not being able to get her out any faster.

Automatically, she reached for the pin in her pocket on her way to the dining room, rubbing its worn surface as she imagined being back in the parlor with Fu, drinking herbal tea and meditating during her breaks between training sessions. A few deep breaths had her feeling a bit more grounded.

"Hey, Ladybug." All of a sudden he appeared in the doorway, fresh from the shower and handsome as ever, just flawed enough to take her breath away.


	9. Wishful Thinking

**Author's Notes: **Another chapter, as promised! This one featured some good old Ladynoir-style banter (which I wrote at three in the morning) and the first half of the lore for this AU regarding the wish, the connection between the Agrestes and the Rossis, etc. If you've been confused up to this point, hopefully this chapter and the next will clear some things up. Enjoy!

Ladybug turned to face him just in time for him to see her slip something into her pocket, a smile on her face that managed to be unsure and completely confident all at once. "Hi," she breathed.

Adrien beamed at her, drying his hair with the towel he had hastily flung around his shoulders. "Hey, what did Nathalie need you for?"

"Oh, actually, M. Agreste wanted to see me."

His eyes widened, exaggeratedly checking her for any signs of injury. "You spoke to my father and made it out alive? And you still have a job?

She smirked at him, crossing her arms. "Ha, ha." She opened her mouth to say something more, glanced around the room for a second, then thought better of it. "He was pretty… intimidating, that's for sure."

"Understatement of the century. I've seen countless young souls go into his lair, unaware of the traps he has laid out for them. Hopeful people who once showed promise were reduced to nothing more than a puddle of tears and a severance check. Intimidating doesn't begin to cover it."

"It wasn't _that_ bad. He said he just wanted to get to know me since I had been working here a little while and we hadn't crossed paths."

Adrien chuckled humorlessly. "'Crossed paths'? The only way you could have accidentally met him without express permission is by sneaking into his atelier, and no offense, but you don't seem rebellious enough for that."

Her eyes widened, just for a fraction of a second, then took on that familiar teasing glint he had grown fond of. "Well, I guess you must not know me very well."

A devious smile split his face and he leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. "Hold on. _Did_ you sneak into his office?"

"What? Are you kidding?" She laughed, but it was beginning to sound a little forced. "Do you really think I'd have the guts to sneak into my boss's private office?"

He shrugged. "Well, it's like you said. I don't know you very well."

"Come on, Adrien. I didn't sneak in there."

He narrowed his eyes, regarding her with faux suspicion.

"I _didn't_!" she insisted. "In case you forgot, _he's_ the one who asked _me_ to go in there in the first place. And between you and me, I'd be perfectly fine if I never had to set foot in there again."

"Are you lying?" He asked, voice low.

She pouted and looked down at the ground, wrapping her arms around herself. "Do you honestly think I'd lie to you?"

"What? No! No, nononono. I was kidding, I swear!" Adrien waved his hands frantically. He had only meant it as a joke, but she didn't seem to take it that way. Her shoulders shook gently, and panic flooded through him at the horrible insinuation that he made her cry. He reached out, hesitated for a second, then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are… are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Ladybug looked up, a huge mischievous grin on her face, cheeks a rosy shade of pink from repressing laughter, not tears. "Guess there's a lot you have to learn about me. For your information, I can dish it just as well as I can take it, _chaton._"

"_Chaton_? Is that because I'm lovable and handsome?" He leaned in closer, taking note of how she blushed from the proximity.

With a finger on his nose, she pushed him back. "Nope, just high maintenance and troublesome."

"That's very unprofessional, m'lady."

"Look who's talking, M. Call-me-by-my-first-name! Staff aren't supposed to be on first name bases with their employers, you know."

"Technically, my father is your employer. You just have me to thank for your paycheck."

"Isn't he the designer?"

"Of course. But you happen to be looking at the face of the largest fashion empire in the whole of Europe. I make about as much modeling the clothes as the company does selling them."

"Is that so? Well, I must bow down to the prince of fashion. Unless you would prefer jester?"

"Jester? I'm offended." That was a lie. He couldn't find it in him to be anything less than thrilled, and his face was starting to ache from smiling so much.

"Aw, do you want me to kiss your ego and make it better? Perhaps you'd settle for some scratches behind your ears."

"Minx."

"Tease."

"Ahem." They jumped apart, spotting Nathalie in the doorway wearing her usual no-nonsense expression. She adjusted her glasses. "Lunch is ready, and M. D'argencourt has asked me to move tomorrow's lesson to Thursday. Any further scheduling changes will be immediately reported to you, Ladybug." Without another word, she left the room.

Adrien and Ladybug looked at each other, then dissolved into giggles. "How long do you think she was there?"

"I don't know, but-" He stopped as a server entered the room carrying a tray full of food. They spent the rest of lunch in silence, save for a few secret smiles here and there.

…

Adrien stared out the wall-length panel of windows, lying motionless in bed so Lila wouldn't know he was awake. She had one arm flung around his middle, and her legs were tangled in his, but she was a mysteriously light sleeper, and he knew any sudden movement would wake her.

He smiled into the darkness, looking up at the moon, a beacon of light in a clear, starless sky, and desperately tried not to imagine what it would be like to have Ladybug's arm around him, to feel her steady breathing against his back. Even better, to be facing her, dozing off as he tried to make out her features in the barely-there moonlight so her face was the last thing he saw before falling asleep and the view he woke up to every morning. She probably looked beautiful when she slept, considering how she looked when she was awake.

Not that he wanted to have her in his bed - that sounded weird. He was curious, not unfaithful. He had morals. He was just idly wondering, and that wasn't a crime. Like, he wondered what it would be like to live on the moon, but that didn't mean he actually wanted to.

Finally feeling his eyelids grow heavy, he sighed quietly, whispered a "good night" to his mother, wherever she was, and closed his eyes.

…

Ladybug turned the tablet around so Adrien could see it from across the table. "So you have ninety minutes of free time because M. D'Argencourt rescheduled your fencing training. Nathalie gave me clearance to take you somewhere as long as I notify her and she approves, but we have to be back in time for you to practice piano for an hour before lunch. This afternoon, your Chinese tutor is coming over, and you have a photoshoot at sunset at Jardin du Luxembourg. We'll have to get there by 17:30 so you'll have time for makeup and everything, then dinner when you get back, which, who knows when that'll be, then tonight..." She trailed off, noticing Adrien's glazed-over eyes as he stared at the colorful chart on the screen. "Did you hear any of what I just said?"

He looked up at her. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, sorry. You lost me at 'free time'."

"That was literally the first thing I told you about. Whatever, it's not like either of us will remember this. I'll have it with me the whole time, anyway." She tapped the button on the side of the tablet and the screen went dark. "Is there something you had in mind?"

He tapped his chin. "Do you think we could go see Fu again? I get the feeling he didn't tell us everything last time."

Ladybug bit her lip, mulling it over. "I don't know. After I finished my training, he told me never to go back to his parlor. If it was important, he would find me. Besides, I don't think Nathalie would appreciate us going to a random building to see some guy she knows nothing about."

"Just tell her we're… going to a tea shop. That wouldn't be a lie."

"It also wouldn't take an hour and a half. And I can't give her the address. That would get me in even more trouble."

"True… I guess we'll just have to lie, then."

…

Ladybug buckled her seatbelt, laughing. "The ice rink? Really? That was the best you could come up with?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"You're ridiculous."

"You know it."

She rolled her eyes fondly and set a course for Fu's parlor. Minutes later, they pulled up in front of the unmarked building and went inside, walking up to his second floor room. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door.

"Come in," he called from an unknown place in the shop. She glanced at Adrien, then turned the handle, letting the door swing open as they entered the room. Fu appeared in the doorway across from them, tea in hand as usual. His eyes widened when he saw them. "What are you two doing here?" His tone was curious, gentle, not accusing in the slightest, as if they showed up early to a party.

"Master, I know you didn't want me to come back, but Adrien and I feel like… maybe you have more information than you told us last time."

He raised his eyebrows. "You think I lied to you?"

"No, not at all! Just that, what we talked about last time might be impossible unless we know more. There are too many variables to cover."

"I was kidding. And you're right, there were details I left out last time. The things we discussed were shocking to you, I'm sure, and you needed time to process what I told you. If you could elaborate on just what information you need, Ladybug, I may be able to assist you." He motioned for them to sit, and they complied. "Wayzz! Could you bring out two more cups of tea, please?"

"Of course, Master." The distant response came from the back.

"You mentioned a wish last time," Adrien began. "Could you tell us more about that?"

Fu sipped his tea, choosing his words. "Ladybug and I briefly discussed magic last time, as I did with you, Adrien. I mentioned the Miraculous jewels, and that two of them held greater power than the others. Thank you, Wayzz." The odd young man entered the room with a tray containing two cups and a teapot, bowing respectfully before leaving again. "When they are combined, whoever possesses both harbors universe-altering power, and with it the ability to make any one wish come true."

"Anything? That could be useful, then, right?"

"No. The Wish mustn't be used more than absolutely necessary. Creation and Destruction must maintain their delicate balance. Without it, the consequences would be irreparable. Every time a Wish is made the balance is interrupted, and restored. For every Wish, there is a price to pay. The most recent one was made nearly ten years ago, and it cannot be allowed to happen again."

Ladybug traced the rim of her teacup with her fingernail. "You said most of that last time, Master," she pressed. "We need to know what happened, and what it had to do with Adrien's family and the Rossis."

Fu smiled calmly. "You have all the necessary pieces to this puzzle of yours, but you are not putting them together. I told you what you need to know."

"But, Master-"

Adrien put a hand on her arm. "He's not going to give us any more, Ladybug. If he's telling the truth, then the answer is in what he said already, like a riddle."

"Okay, we know about the Wish. The last time it happened was ten years ago, and the balance was restored. What does that mean? What happened ten years ago?"

"The Rossis left, and my mother got sick."

"Why did they leave?" Ladybug wondered aloud. "What happened?"

"I don't remember exactly. I know Mme Rossi was sick for a while; I never knew her that well. Then, she got better, I guess, and they left. Why, I don't know, because they loved Lila, and they just abandoned her."

Fu set his cup down. "A loving family is broken apart by necessity. If they loved her and left, there was a reason."

"All I remember is after that, my mother started getting worse. It happened really fast, and… I never saw her again."

"Could they have done something to her?"

"Hold on," Adrien said. "Mme Rossi was sick, and after she recovered, they left, and my mother…" He trailed off, desperately trying to put the pieces together. Ladybug wasn't far behind. "M. Rossi used the wish, didn't he? He-he thought his wife was going to die, so he wished for her to recover, and-"

"Your mother was the price."


	10. The Aftermath

**Author's Notes: *hands you more backstory* Enjoy!**

"Your mother was the price," Ladybug repeated. "For the balance to be restored, someone had to take Mme Rossi's place."

"Then they left, all of a sudden, they just disappeared one day. My father, he loved her so much. I… _I_ loved her. She's gone now, isn't she? She paid the price - it wasn't supposed to be her." He curled in on himself, finally releasing tears he'd been repressing for years. An arm wrapped around him, gently pulling him close, and he didn't have the heart to resist.

"That's not fair," Ladybug whispered, stroking his hair. "Why would he do that?"

Fu sighed. "It was my mistake. I knew Anthony when he was a young boy, and I had just begun training him to take my place as the Great Guardian when he met his young wife, Clara. He begged me to let him use a Miraculous - both of them, just for one night as a present for her. They couldn't afford to have a honeymoon, so I allowed it.

I saw them often, trained with him while she played chess with Wayzz. After a couple years, they had a daughter - Lila. Anthony loved her so much, but Clara began to grow weaker and weaker, and he was desperate for a cure. Foolishly, I told him, and he spent the next ten years searching for the jewels that would save her life. Throughout this, he had a partner." Fu looked pointedly at Adrien. "His best friend, Gabriel."

Adrien sniffed, choking back another onslaught of tears. "My father helped him?"

Nodding, Fu continued. "They made a deal. Anthony loved his wife and daughter so much, but while Gabriel adored his wife, he was never much of a family man."

Ladybug scoffed. "That's one way to put it."

"To make sure Anthony wouldn't double-cross him, Gabriel suggested drawing up a contract. He would help his friend search for these jewels, and Lila would marry his son in twenty years, which is only a few weeks from now."

Adrien sat up, ignoring the concern on Ladybug's face. "What happened? Why did the Wish make my mother sick instead of Lila?" He was still upset, but he needed answers more than anything.

"I'm not certain, but Karma is a funny thing. Ten years ago, Anthony finally found what he was looking for. I knew what he was trying to do, so I hid the jewels from him, but they were in my possession the entire time. He was furious with me, and I… couldn't stop him. To this day, that is one of my biggest regrets. He took the Miracle Box, leaving me virtually powerless, and made the Wish. Clara instantly recovered, but Emilie did not. When Gabriel discovered what he had done, he swore he would get revenge and use the Wish to bring his wife back.

"There was a fight, and many of the Miraculous jewels were lost, including Creation and Destruction. Anthony and Clara escaped with the Miracle Box and the remaining jewels, but they left Lila with Gabriel because of their deal. I didn't want to tell you before, but I understand you must work as a team to prevent another Wish from being made. The two of you hold the powers of Creation and Destruction - the earrings of the Ladybug, and the ring of the Black Cat."

Adrien and Ladybug exchanged a look, and he took a closer look at her earrings. Red with five black spots, then down at his once-silver ring, which was now black with a green paw print on it. Both jewels glowed in the dim light of the parlor, and something buzzed in the air between them. If Adrien wasn't so overwhelmed by everything that was going on, he would have made a pun about the chemistry between them, but he wisely choked it back.

"The Lucky Ladies have had the Ladybug Miraculous for many centuries, but the Black Cat was in my possession for a long time. I presumed it lost - until you showed up with the ring your mother found and entrusted to you. Separate, the Ladybug and Black Cat are no more powerful than any other Miraculous. But when you are together, your power increases, and the universe is balanced.

"I have told you all I know, but I can't allow you back here unless there is an extreme emergency. I will let you know when the time is right again."

"Thank you, Master," Ladybug said. She offered Adrien a hand, which he took, and they both bowed to him before leaving.

He couldn't say a word on the drive home, couldn't even look Ladybug in the eye, though he was pretty sure she had been glancing at him in the mirror the whole way. When the car came to a stop, he got out, only to find himself on a random street in Paris, not at the mansion.

"Where are we?"

She smiled nervously. "The ice rink. We still have some time before we have to go home, so…" He swallowed, and a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "We don't have to. I just thought it might cheer you up. I'm sorry. We can go home."

He laughed, sure he looked a mess, but not caring in the slightest. "No, that's really sweet, actually. I'd love to go ice skating with you." She blushed and took his hand, leading him into the building.

…

"You know what's _really_ embarrassing?" Adrien asked, leaning back in his chair.

Ladybug looked up at him and smirked. "What?"

"Being twenty-three and not knowing how to tie my shoes." She giggled and finished lacing his ice skates, then held on to his arm as he led them out onto the ice.

"I haven't gone skating in years." She glided around the rink, breathing in the cool air. They were the only two skaters there, which was nice, but a little out of the ordinary. "This place must not get much business, huh?"

"I guess not."

For a few minutes, they skated in silence, and Ladybug chewed on her lip, wondering if she should talk about all the new information they got from Fu. On one hand, it would be good for them to make a plan and figure out what their next move should be, especially because the wedding was fast approaching. On the other hand, Adrien looked so happy to just be doing something fun, and she didn't want to be the one to wipe the smile off his face.

Lost in thought, she soon hit a wall, having forgotten about the oblong shape of the ice rink, and instead skated straight. She hit the ground, and he hurried over.

"Are you okay?" He asked, helping her up.

She laughed at her own expense. "Yeah, just clumsy."

"What do you think we should do?"

Feigning ignorance, she cocked her head and blinked at him. "About what?"

"About what Fu said. What are we going to do?"

"I'm not sure. But I guess I was wrong about your father being the bad guy. Turns out it's M. Rossi all along."

"No, no, you were right."

"What do you mean? Rossi made the Wish, your father was just his accomplice."

Adrien sighed. "Maybe he didn't make the Wish himself, but something was up. I've been thinking about it since we left. My mother gave this ring to me the last time I ever saw her. If she didn't tell my father about it, she didn't want him to have it. She didn't _want_ him to use the Wish."

"That makes sense. I don't want to defend him too much, but he's just doing it for his wife, right? He wants her back. He loves her."

"He's obsessed with her. There's a bit of a difference there. At first, he was fine, no worse than usual. But after she left, he started getting more and more distant. He doesn't care who he hurts anymore. He'd destroy the world to get her back. My father is crazy. We can't let him make that Wish."

"You're right." She slowed down, then stopped. "It would be so much easier if M. Rossi hadn't made the Wish in the first place. The jewels would still be with Fu, your mother would still be alive, and you wouldn't have to marry Lila."

He laughed humorlessly. "In a perfect world, maybe. But somehow, for better or worse, it brought us together, made us stronger. Would you have wanted it to go any other way?"

"No," she said without hesitation. "I wouldn't."

"Good. It would have been really awkward if you said 'yes.'"

She snorted and booped his nose. "Dork."

"Takes one to know one!" He gave her a retaliation boop and skated off.

Ladybug gaped, stunned, and skated after him. "Oh, you're asking for it now!"

"Who's gonna give it to me?"

"If I were you, I wouldn't stick around and find out." Ladybug slowed a bit waiting for him to get ahead, then skated down the middle of the rink, trapping him. Adrien yelped in surprise as she threw her arms around him, trying to knock him over, and picked her up.

She squealed. "Put me down!"

"If you insist." He spun her around and set her down, skating away from her again.

"You're so dead!"

For the next twenty minutes, they chased each other around an empty ice rink, laughing and screaming like little kids, having all but forgotten the heaviness of the morning. When it was finally time for them to go, Ladybug dragged him off the ice, barely able to catch her breath through her case of the giggles.

"My butt is gonna be bruised from falling down so much." She pouted and bent down to untie her skates.

He laughed, breathless. "Maybe you should ice it."

"You are utterly _infuriating_."

"Oh, come on. You walked right into that one, LB. I just saw the opportunity and took it." Ladybug rolled her eyes, slipping her flats on and grabbing the rest of her things. "But, hey," She turned back around at the sound of his voice. "Thank you. I mean it. I cried earlier because I'm not used to people doing things like that for me." She blushed, hoping he wouldn't notice because her face was already rosy from exertion. "It kind of reminded me of my mother." He shrugged and stood up, slinging his bag over one shoulder.

They walked out in silence and drove home the same way, but it was much more comfortable than before. When Ladybug opened his door to let him out at the mansion, he rested his hand on top of hers.

"She would have loved you, you know."


End file.
